The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Saturday said it would announce its candidates for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) general election within two days. The election for the AJK Legislative Assembly is scheduled for June 26.
“The MQM is going to announce its candidates for the AJK within two days and negotiation for seat adjustment in this regard will be held after making a formal announcement of the candidates,” MQM’s AJK Tourism Minister Tahir Khokhar told Pakistan Today. To a question on talks regarding seat adjustment between MQM and the PML-Q in the wake of Farooq Sattar’s meeting with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Friday, Khokhar said that seat adjustment was discussed but no final decision had been made so far.
“We will certainly hold negotiations with various political parties on the issue of seat adjustment, but our first preference in the election strategy will be to have seat adjustment with candidates from the middle class contesting polls in individual capacities,” Khokhar said. He said the MQM would vie for all 41 constituencies in AJK, but some independent sources said the party would not able to field candidates for more than 10 constituencies.
However, an insider said the MQM was likely to arrive at a seat adjustment formula with the PML-Q and some individuals contesting elections as independent candidates.